In Connecticut, elementary school students learning civics have gone back to the basics. But in a big way.
The Associated Press reported that 4,400 fifth-grade students are voting to elect the state’s new “kid governor.” It is part of a program to ensure public school students learn more about their government, participatory democracy and good citizenship. The winner will serve for one year, devise a plan to deliver on campaign promises and make public speeches.
It is a giant step up from the usual single-school elections for student officers – useful, but at times criticized as popularity contests – and tied to a renewed effort to teach the fundamentals of civics.
It is also an idea that might work well in Colorado.
Connecticut is one of many states pushing basic civics education, a subject that, school critics say, has fallen by the wayside in an era focused on student performance on standardized language and math tests.
That is a point with which Dr. Jason Wayman, Montezuma-Cortez High School principal, heartily agrees. He said the school used to send students out to perform community service, but testing requirements have gotten in the way. Rather than the good old days of paper and pencil, students must test on a limited number of computers. That makes it hard for an entire grade level to take part in a community service project.
Service projects help students learn about civic engagement and are integral to understanding civics, but they do not offer a complete education. That public school graduates lack a functional understanding of civics is demonstrated in the lack of civil discourse in government today, critics say, and most evident during election campaigns in which bad behavior results in cynicism and low voter turnout.
“Civic education is how we prepare people to be good citizens, which was the original purpose of public schooling in the United States. It’s pretty badly needed,” says Peter Levine, director of the Massachusetts-based Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement.
Our local schools are aware of the importance of civics, of course, and the subject is not ignored. The Re-1 school district has adopted Colorado Department of Education’s social studies standards, which require teachers to cover history, geography, economics and civics starting in kindergarten. Fifth grade introduces students to democracy, American history and government. The high school teaches civics as a part of its government and history courses and requires both to graduate.
This fall, both of these classes did touch on the political process, and students received extra credit if they signed up to register to vote. The history class addressed local issues, while the government class discussed state and national issues. Student government, the honors program and career and technical education classes focus on community-building and hope to reach every matriculating student.
But can more be done? Some state legislators think so. In April, Senate Bill 48, which would have required high school students to pass the civics portion of the federal exam given to prospective U.S. citizens in order to graduate, narrowly failed passage.
State Sen. Nancy Todd, D-Aurora, summed up her opposition this way:
“I want students who think. I do not want students who just regurgitate facts.”
She has a point but may be missing the entire picture. What we need is well-educated young citizens who can do both.
